Any massage therapist here? popping during a deep tissue

So I have had chronic muscle knots for going on 15 years, and I finally found a massage therapist that is not to gentle (its gonna take some elbow grease to get these out I suspect) but while she was working on some of the knots I felt some popping not cracking like my knuckles but popping, and I asked her and she said it was the lactic acid that had built up becoming crystalized, I was wondering if there is any truth to this or is it my muscles rubbing on my joints or something Thanks!

ocreotide (Guest)

Guest

December 30, 2008 4:21 AM

hey buddy nurse here... i wont agree with that buddy... because lactic acid normally builds up when you use your muscle or you put some stress or fatigue it and that it starves for oxygen to a point that it shifts into anaerobic metabolism to generate energy but the end product of that would be lactic acid, that is build up especially to athletes who are playing strenuous activities causing cramps.. but one you rested it, you give your body the time to remove it by your bloodstream and excreted out via urine or sweat... but saying that it builds to your muscles like crystals im not so sure.. because what i know what builds up would be uric acid crystals, when there is too much in your blood stream causing deposition in your joints and tissues causing the condition Gouty arthritis... the popping sound you hear when you move your joints is what we call crepitus... sometimes it is suggestive of osteoarthritis especially if accompanied by pain in your weight bearing joints like knees and is also brought by aging that you lose the available synovial fluid in that area that lubricates it as you move, you can consult other specialist to be sure especially a sports medicine specialist to clear things for you.. take care and enjoy the holidays

Hey UFGator2be! I'm a Nationally certified massage therapist in NC and I can vouch 100% for what your therapist told you. Overuse of muscles can happen anywhere in the body where striated muscle fibers are present (forearms, shins, traps, etc.) Overuse leads to exhaustion and the use of anaerobic respiration to produce energy. However, this form of energy production is dirtier burning and less efficient, as in, more metabolic waste...as in LACTIC ACID. Lactic acid is sticky by nature and calcium based. It makes the muscles fibers adhere to one another and depending on the degree of exhaustion, time-line of over-use patterns, and methods used to rid the body of the build-up (ie. frequency of receiving massage), it can actually begin to feel like a solid mass and make all sorts of sounds when palpated, like clicking and popping or to a lesser degree feel crunchy, squishy, etc. So what do you do about it? Get regular deep tissue massages, stay hydrated before and after the massage and throughout your day-to-day activities. Get plenty of rest (your muscles repair themselves only during REM sleep) and stretch at will. Hope this clears things up a bit!Juliana at cpmedspa.com

Hey UFGator2be... A couple of things to bear in mind with the massage. you mentioned that you've had chronic muscular knots for 15 years. I'm assuming you had massage treatments for them during that time, before seeing your current therapist? If this is the first therapist thats actually managed to improve the condition of the muscles and decrease the general tension/pain then you've found a good therapist. If however theres been no noticeable change, give the girl at least 3-6 session and then assess the situation again.

The chronic knots that you've mentioned are actually called "Myofascial trigger points" or "trigger points" for short. When a muscle is overly tight, the blood flow of the muscle is affected and lactic acid and other toxins are trapped in the area. If the situation continues for long enough the materials will crystalize into deposits. My nickname for a trigger points is a "popper", because of the sound they frequently make when released.

A good book you might be interested in on trigger points is called: "Trigger point self-care manual" by Donna Finando ISBN: 1-59477-080-8. Its easy to understand, fantastic accurate pictures as to the location of the trigger points and gives plenty of self help tips for treating trigger points.

So in summary. If you liked the massage and you felt a improvement in the muscle and hopefully a decrease in pain - you have found a good massage therapist.

By the way, Crepitus is a grinding noise or sensation within bone joints. If the therapist was not directly working on a joint at the time you heard a "pop" then its likely to be a trigger point. What can happen during a massage, is that a therapist can be releasing a muscle and indirectly influence a nearby joint producing a "pop" sound which is called a caviation. Its just the release of gas in a tight joint. Nothing to be concerned about!